1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the processing of waxy barley grain to obtain valuable products therefrom and more particularly, to the processing of waxy barley grain for the production of a carbohydrate syrup high in maltose content, a variety of protein products, a fermentable product suitable for conversion to alcohol, a carbohydrate gum and novel uses for these products.
2. State of the Art
Barley is a grain product which has been found useful mainly in the brewing industry as barley malt which utilizes the enzymatic activity of the barley malt for industrial applications such as starch-splitting and protein degrading. The barley malt is an important source of alpha- and beta-amylase and is used in many foods such as beer, wheat flour and cereal to convert starch to fermentable sugars. Exemplary prior art showing the use of barley in the formation of malts and the use of malts in the fermentable industry may be found for example in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,947,667; 3,157,583; 3,446,708 and 4,140,802.
There has been very limited work in the utilization of barley in other areas heretofore. Exemplary of the prior art in which there have been attempts to use barley in other ways may be exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 3,846,397 which processes grain residues obtained from mashed barley malt to recover water soluble protein products suitable for utilization as animal feeds.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,548,721 is also of interest as it describes the treatment of starch with an ungerminated grain such as barley until the major portion of the starch has been saccharified. However, useful products are not obtained from the barley in this procedure.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,689,277 discloses production of a protein hydrolysate from barley grain by treating with a proteolytic enzyme at 35.degree.-50.degree. C. to produce protein hydrolysis products and a starch fraction, the solution containing at least 40% of protein. The protein is then reacted with sugar to produce a product having a caramel flavor.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,901,725 describes wet processes for separating cereal starch granules according to size and states that barley, rye and wheat starch may be treated in the process. However, the patent does not set forth specific examples of obtaining any product from a barley grain. U.S. Pat. No. 4,094,700 is directed to a method for producing gluten and starch from a dispersion of wheat, barley or rye endosperm fractions in water. However, there is no actual example directed to processing of barley as the starting material or any description of a product obtained from the barley.
A publication entitled "Barley Syrup Production" by the ABMIP/DDS-KROYER Process, Pamphlet No. 815G008E, published by the Danish Company, DDS-KROYER, presented in 1972 in Peking by Erik S. Nilsson, discloses the conventional procedure for processing of barley by conversion to malt through germination of the raw barley. A process is disclosed wherein an extract simulating the extract from barley malt action can be produced by degrading barley directly with enzymes such as alpha-amylase or beta-amylase.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,791,865 discloses maltose syrups obtained from corn starch wherein the syrup contains 60-80% maltose and 15-35% maltotriose.
It is also known from U.S. Pat. No. 3,115,410 to Huffman that a barley fraction having thickening properties may be produced by heat treatment and special milling of barley. Further, U.S. Pat. No. 4,154,623 to Schwengers describes a process for preparing a starch hydrolysate from wheat, barley or rye, but not waxy barley, including hydrating and salting the kernels, wet milling the softened kernels, and separating fibers and pentosans attached thereto, as well as germs and glutens from the wet milled product to form a starch containing slurry essentially free of insoluble pentosans, washing the fraction to form a refined starch containing product and hydrolyzing to form a starch hydrolysate and refining the hydrolysate.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,125,528 is directed to a process of fractionating whole wheat kernels into glutens, starch and bran germ components, but there is no disclosure of application of this process to waxy barley.
Banks et al, "Studies on the Starches of Barley Genotypes: the Waxy Starch"; Die Starke, Vol. 22, no. 5, May 1970, pgs. 149-152; is a study on investigations into the properties of starches of waxy barleys which are materials of the type which may be used as starting materials in the process of this application. The article discusses methods for extraction of starch from two genotypes of Japanese waxy barley, and also contains data with respect to enzymatic degradation and average molecular weight as well as properties.
Anderson et al, "Enzymatic Determination of 1,3:1,4-A-Glucans In Barley, Grain and Other Cereals"; Journal of the Institute of Brewing, Vol. 84, July-August 1978, pages 233-239, is a report of work concerning the enzymatic determination of glucans in barley, grain or other cereals, but there is no discussion of the determination of glucans in waxy barleys.
Calvert et al, Chemical Abstracts, Vol. 86, no. 19, page 437, No. 138444(e), "Waxy vs. Normal Barley in Rat and Pig Diets", is a review of the use of waxy versus normal barley in rat and pig diets.
In none of these prior art references, however, is there any disclosure for the processing of waxy barleys in accordance with the methods of the present invention or the production of novel products described herein.